Moammar Gadhafi loyalists have seized control of Libyan town, officials and fighters say
BENGHAZI, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi loyalists seized control of a Libyan city and raised the ousted regime’s green flag, an official and military commanders said Tuesday, in the most serious revolt yet against the country’s government.
The retaking of Bani Walid highlights the vulnerability of Libya’s new leaders, who have faced mounting criticism as they struggle to unify the oil-rich North African nations and build state institutions from scratch three months after Gadhafi was captured and killed.
The seizure also appeared to be the first major, organized operation by armed remnants of Gadhafi’s regime, adding to the security woes of the ruling National Transitional Council. The council has so far made little progress in unifying armed forces. Instead it is left reliant on multiple “revolutionary brigades,” militias made up of citizens-turned-fighters, usually all from a specific city or even neighborhood. Read more